The Bombay High Court has ruled that having an Aadhaar card, PAN card, or Voter ID is not enough to prove Indian citizenship unless these documents are properly verified. The court was hearing a bail plea of a man accused of being a Bangladeshi national and using fake identity cards.

Justice Amit Borkar said, "Merely relying on the existence of certain identity documents such as Aadhaar, PAN, or Voter ID, without verification of the process through which these were obtained, cannot be treated as sufficient proof of lawful citizenship at this stage, particularly when the very authenticity of such documents is under investigation.

The judge clarified that citizenship claims must be examined strictly under the Citizenship Act, 1955, following the conditions listed in Sections 3 to 6 or any special provisions that may apply.

Police alleged the man is a Bangladeshi national who forged Indian IDs. During the investigation, officers found a Bangladeshi birth certificate in his possession. A forensic check of his phone revealed two birth certificates—one said to be his and the other of a woman claimed to be his mother—both showing Bangladesh as the place of birth.

Justice Borkar noted that the court is not deciding yet whether these documents are genuine or fake, as that will be determined during the trial. However, he said their presence on the accused’s phone is a significant detail that cannot be ignored.

The court rejected the bail plea but allowed the accused to apply again if the trial is not completed within a year. "However, it shall be open for the applicant to revive his request for bail if the trial is not concluded within a period of one year from today," the judgment stated.


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